Heaven Just Got the Funniest Angel

...and earth lost the best potato salad maker!! 

 

Bang, Bang!

Aaron's "boyness" has really come out the past six months. He has always like playing with Legos and cars, but he seems to love it more these days. He is also really into learning about guns and playing with army guys.

While we were in Indiana for Grandma's birthday, my dad gave Aaron a tour of his gun collection. Aaron got to hold them all.

Papaw taught him to sit like that. Aaron got to hold guns and play with an old Army guy.

Evansville Odds and Ends

My grandmother mentioned it had been a while since she had visited her parents' graves. I had been there before, but it had been so long it was a vague memory. I thought it would be neat for the kids to see, so I told Grandma I'd take her.

The kids at their great-grandparent's graves.

Grandma's sister

Grandma's dad

Grandma's grandmother...the kids' great-great-great-grandmother.

Grandma's grandpa...the kids' great-great-great grandfather.

On Father's Day we went to Mamaw Nise's parents' house in Kentucky. My dad took the kids fishing. It was very hot and humid. I spent most of the day on the back porch on the swing. It was at least 90 degrees in the shade.

Hannah caught the first fish using the cane pole Aaron made at Boy Scouts.

My nephew Riely with one of the fish he caught.

Rachel fishing.

Papaw taking the big catfish Rachel caught off the hook.

Cleaning fish.

We spent one Saturday visiting with family at my Grandma's house.

This is Hannah, Darian, Alexis, Rachel and Aaron at my grandma's house.

Aunt Earleen, Uncle Dan, Aunt Diane and Uncle Dennis

My cousin Mike, me, my cousin Melissa. Melissa lives in Tennessee and it is unusual for both of us to make it "home" at the same time. She had to come in for a funeral. Even though she had to come in for a sad reason, I was happy to get to visit with her. My cousin Mike is only a year older than I am. I love reliving the memories with him of the two of us fighting as we were growing up.

We went to watch my cousin's girls play baseball.

Amaya on base.

Aaron, Riely, Rachel, Hannah and Bethanie playing the DS's at my dad's house.

The zoo in town has a new exhibit that we wanted to check out. Our local zoo membership got us in that zoo for free.

Janet's daughter, Sarah, liked watching the otter's from the tunnel that ran through their habitat.

As we were walking along the Amazonia exhibit we were startled when we came across this replica of an anaconda. Aaron was only disappointed that it wasn't real.

Janet and me being just a little batty. Ha, ha.

Hannah and Mamaw Nise conquering the last hill before we left.

That hot and humid weather we experienced brought lots of thunderstorms.

My mom and I were watching out her front door when that large branch fell off the tree.

Hannah loved visiting all of the pets on our trip. She spent a lot of time out on the deck with my aunt's dog, Spunky.

We were also invited to join our friends Jim and Candace for dinner at their home one night. Aaron was thrilled that Mr. Jim was making sweet tea and has since been pricing tea makers in the store. He is set on buying one with his own money. I've assured him that his mommy is capable of making sweet tea without a tea maker.

We made so many great memories on this trip. Hopefully next time I am able to blog as I go. I'm sure I've left out way too many details this time around.

Formerly Known As Santa Claus Land

The kids and I spent a day at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana with my friend Janet, her friend Kelly, their kids and a friend of their kids. When I was growing up, Holiday World was called Santa Claus land. Holiday World is an amusement park with an incredible water park. It has grown since I was a kid, but it is a family owned and operated park and has kept a small town feel. I was very impressed with the fact that the park offers free drinks to all the visitors. There are little drink stations set up through out the park. You just walk in, grab a cup and fill up. The lines weren't very long due to the fact the area was experiencing unusually hot and humid temperatures.

Here are all the kids in front of the Santa statue. I know my mom has pictures of me and my siblings in front of this same statue.

Rachel has loved roller coasters since she was able to ride her first one at Disney when she turned 4. Back then she loved the "high and fast" ones as she described them. Janet's daughter Sarah is 12 and Kelly's kids are around the same age. They were all very nice to Rachel and happy to let her tag a long on all the roller coasters and other "high and fast" rides.

Hannah loved the bumper boats.

This one went up and dropped straight down. This is actually a "kiddie" version of a larger ride. Rachel thought she was too cool to ride it at first, but she did have fun.

I have several pictures of the kids on the bumper cars and then my camera battery died.

Sarah was so sweet to let Hannah ride with her on rides that required her to be with an adult. Here they are in the bumper cars.


Sarah and Hannah are bumping Aaron from behind.


Rachel is happily ramming her brother.

After spending time on the rides, we went to the water park. There was a great wave pool which the kids loved. Kelly and the big kids took Rachel with them on the water rides. Janet and I sat pool side and soaked up the sun. We stayed until almost closing time and two of my three kids fell asleep on the way home. If we lived close we would have season passes. It was such a great day.

Who Was That Masked Man?

The kids were able to make a special craft with their Papaw Roger. He had some special clay which they each used to create their own masks.

After the masks dried

they had to be sanded

and painted.

I Now Return You to the Regularly Scheduled Program

We celebrated Aaron's eighth birthday while we were visiting in Evansville. My kids have had birthday parties almost every year, but this is the first time one of them has been able to have a big family party. I rented a shelter house and P.K. was able to make it for the weekend. Aaron wanted a snake themed party. Go figure.

We used this picture to make the invitations.

There aren't many ideas to be found for a snake party other than making a snake shaped cake. I decorated the tables with thinly shredded green paper (the kind that is used to stuff gift bags) and spread it down the middle of the tables for grass. Then I hid snakes in the grass. It worked out well. Then we took all of Aaron's stuffed snakes and some stuffed snakes I bought as party favors and put them all over the room.

The kids painted wooden snakes.

Some of the adults thought it looked like so much fun, they jumped in on the craft.

This is my dad painting a snake.

I bought bug catchers at a dollar store to use as goody bags. Before I filled them with goodies, I hid small plastic snakes in the grass and the kids used them to collect snakes on a snake hunt.

Here's Aaron picking up snakes on the snake hunt.

The kids with all the snakes they found on the snake hunt.

I thought about making one of the snake cakes I saw online, but my cousin reminded me that the local bakery transfers pictures to cakes. We used the picture we used for the invitation on the cake.

Aaron received an aquarium and all the things to go in it that he will need for his pet snake. P.K. and I gave him a gift certificate for his snake which we will purchase at a reptile show the beginning of August. (We will never be able to top that gift.)

His actual birthday was the following Tuesday. My dad bought donuts for breakfast to celebrate.

One of our traditions is using the "celebration plate" on special days. One of those days is birthdays. Most of our traditions are what I call "portable" traditions. Because we move so often, our traditions need to be able to travel with us. When I realized we would be gone on Aaron's birthday, I packed the celebration plate. His eyes lit up when he realized I brought it.

Aaron with his birthday donuts on our family celebration plate.

We had dinner at my mom's house that night and I picked up another cake at the grocery store just so he could have cake on his actual birthday.